Saturday, February 18 2006 15:13 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Havana: A senior Iranian legislator called Russia's proposal to enrich uranium for Iran 'useful' and said Tehran was open to talks with Europe and China.

"We consider the Russian proposal useful and are prepared to establish conversations with other European countries and China," said Iran's parliament president Gholam Ali Hadad-Adel while on a two-day visit to Cuba.

"What is important about the Russian proposal and some others is that they do not prevent Iran from making use of nuclear energy," he said.

"If the Russian proposal does not violate any of the rules of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), we can study it," he said.

Tehran has pulled closer to Moscow at the moment that the United States and some European countries have urged the UN Security Council to take up the controversy over Iran's nuclear program, which Washington alleges aims at developing nuclear weapons.

The IAEA, the UN nuclear watchdog, will release a crucial report on Iran at the end of February, a week ahead of a meeting that could urge UN action against Iran.

Speaking in a press conference, Hadad-Adel said US pressure on Iran's nuclear program was 'merely a pretext: if we were not independent, if we depended on the United States and then made atomic bombs, the United States would not protest.'

Asked about Moscow's position if the Iran question goes to the Security COuncil, Hadad-Adel said, "We hope Russia does not follow the politics of the United States."